Functional Movement
Functional Movement, a powerful ally in physical health.
The results of a quick online search of ‘functional movement’ returns many things … 3 basic human movements … 7 human movement fundamentals … 12 fundamental movement skills … 12 body movements … primal movements … functional movements … fundamental movements.
A clear lack of consistency. So what are considered the functional movements and why should we try to put them a weekly exercise plan?
Standing on the shoulder of giants we’re aligned to the Dan John school of thought. The man’s insights and the simplicity of these insights and of his programming is second to none. According to Dan there are five basic human movements.
The need to have effective functional control and movement becomes clear when you see the examples in such basic terms, in particular with today’s more sedentary lifestyle. Functional movements don't just engage the major muscle groups as is the case with many isolated strength exercises. One of its clear benefits is the way it challenges the body’s skeletal system to move as a unit, with prime movers, accessory muscle groups and stabilisers all having to work in a coordinated way to effectively carry out a task. So we’re big fans. We want to explore the capability of our body through movement, to be curious as to how it works and to see what it can and can’t do. Functional movements allow us to work in this space.
Some examples, you could place in a workout week
We’d also place value on two additional movement patterns.
A single leg exercise - for balance, stability, agility & proprioception. Think putting on a sock while standing (and not hopping around the bedroom).
And a floor to standing exercise - standing upright from a lying position places a big stress on the internal systems of the body so it’s a great addition to any workout. Think getting out of bed in the morning.
Many of our tonic workouts, designed to allow you to work out in a challenging yet restorative way, utilise these functional movement patterns, where the emphasis is to work movements not muscles for a more global effect. Others, like some of our HIIT workouts, use these exercises to elicit a big positive stress where the challenge is to stay functionally strong when fatigue comes knocking! Wherever your interest lies, a good weekly plan should have some form of functional work in it.
Fancy making up your own functional workouts? Try this framework
- Day 1 Squat, Pull, Carry & Overhead Press
- Day 2 Hinge, Push, Single Leg, Floor to Stand.
Or check out our functional workouts in the app.
